Helping people speak Creole, connect, and do more.

That’s a joke, right?

There are many measures of language comprehension… function, connection, humor… When learning a new language, our first victories come in the form of greetings and simple questions. As our skills build, we find accomplishment in getting ideas across, buying items independently, getting directions AND actually finding said location… via public transit even!

But there are different levels to both expression and comprehension, creating depth in persona, for both the native speaker and She Who is Learning…which would be my Native American name had I been born into that culture. And missing out on some of those sucks.

One of my favorite ways to connect with people is through humor. Giggles open people up at a new level and bring their comfort up a notch. When you’re laughing, your guard goes down and you can interact more freely, walls are demolished, barriers annihilated! …

Laughter is the best medicine, right? So as a health care provider (Doctor of Physical Therapy to be specific), of course I want to make my patients laugh! Humor and human connection are huge components in healing, but ones that feel fairly inaccessible thus far in my Creole career. During STAND’s last treatment trip this past fall, I used more of my new language skills than I can even begin to tell. And it was great! I even slid in a few of my own jokes; one was about my patient being a better swimmer than a fish following treatment. Elementary, I know, but I’m trying 🙂

You see, I’m still on the first floor and I really want the view from the penthouse suite. But I suppose that leads me to this conclusion: I just need to keep climbin’ those stairs… and perhaps work on my STAND-up act!